Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu HAPPO Hiken

(webmasters note: This information was taken from the October 1996 issue of ura and Omote. Links contained in the article may be dead Inconsistencies in the Romanji Spelling of Japanese words with anything else on the site are the result of  the disclaimer at bottom)

By Mats Hjelm
Truth, Loyalty and Justice School

"The information presented here is based upon the research of me personally, with great help from others (mentioned where appropriate) and has not been verified by, nor received the approval of Hatsumi Soke. It is presented only as the researchers' interpretation of history and should not be taken as fact."

GIKAN RYU SOKE

Grandmasters Akimoto, Kanai Moriyoshi

-- Notes about the Sokes Akimoto, Kanai Moriyoshi: He was a student of Sougyoko, Kan Ritsushi who was the 12th Soke in Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu and the 3rd Soke in Koto Ryu Koppojutsu. He is the one who founded the teachings that would become Gikan Ryu, he is not considered to be the founder for reasons unknown.

1. Uryu, Hangan Gikanbo: Gikan Ryu was founded by Uryu, Giganbo who was the Daimyo of Kawachi no Kuni (Kawachi castle). This was a family castle known as Uryujo. It is said that his punch was so powerful that he once broke a sword blade in half. He was also a master of Hichojutsu (leaping techniques) and Senban nage (blade throwing). The "bo" in Gikanbo was probably added to his name after his death. It was a custom to add "bo" (dead) to the end of the deceased person's name on people with higher social status. Still today deceased persons with a high social status, often have "Ingo" or "Koji" added to the end of their names on their tombstones.

2. Uryu, Yoshimitsu: In his later years he became a monk.

10. Uryu, Gikan: On 27th August 1863 he was fighting for the emperor's army in a battle called "Tenchigumi no ran." He was shot in his arm by a musket, but he kept fighting with only one arm. When he could, he retired to the safety of a nearby temple. It was here that Ishitani, Takeoi Masatsugu who already was the Soke of Kukishinden Ryu and Hontai Takagi Yoshin Ryu found him. Ishitani told him that the battle was already over. Ishitani helped him to recover, and together they escaped to Iga. -- Paul Richardson's Book (4th edition)

11. Ishitani, Takeoi Masatsugu: As he had helped Uryu, Gikan to safety in Iga, a friendship began. Ishitani was then taught the Gikan Ryu, and later received the Menkyo Kaiden, a diploma that verifies that he had learned the Gikan Ryu techniques fully. He was also to be the next Soke of Gikan Ryu, and he added to his own two schools -- Kukishinden Ryu and Hontai Takagi Yoshin Ryu. He died sometime around 1905.

12. Ishitani, Matsutaro Takekage: He came to Takamatsu family match factory in the early 1900 looking for a job, he got the job as the security chief on the factory. He was an old man using his bokken as a cane. He died in the lap of Takamatsu in 1911.

13. Takamatsu, Toshitsugu Uoh (1888.03.01 - 1972.04.02): He learned Gikan Ryu from Ishitani as well as Kukishinden Ryu and Hontai Takagi Yoshin Ryu (not to be confused with Takagi Yoshin Ryu, which he learned from Mizuta Tadefuza), for approximately two years between 1903-1905 until the death of Ishitani. He was already an expert in Togakure Ryu, Gyokko Ryu, Koto Ryu, Shinden Fudo Ryu, and Kumogakure Ryu which he had learned from his uncle. He was also an expert of Takagi Yoshin Ryu from Mizuta Sensei. He learned the three schools from Ishitani fast and received Menkyo Kaiden. When Ishitani was about to die he called for Takamatsu, he told Takamatsu that he would be the next Soke for the three schools. He also told him that he should also give a copy of the three Denshos from Takagi Yoshin Ryu to his student, and Takamatsu's friend, Kakuno Hachiheita.

14. Akimoto, Fumio (born? - Approx. Death 1962): Takamatsu gave the Menkyo Kaiden to several people, including his best friend and senior student Akimoto, Fumio. He died an untimely death in 1962 without a successor. So the Gikan Ryu returned to Takamatsu, and then later passed on to Hatsumi with the other eight Bujinkan ryus sometime between 1968-1971. This is the reason he is listed as the 14th Soke. It is believed that his scrolls were destroyed in the fire bombing of Tokyo in World War II, but this has not been confirmed. Akimoto was also Soke of Shoken Ryu Dakentaijutsu which ran through his own family. This Ryu probably died with Akimoto's death in 1962. Since Shoken Ryu is not one of the Bujinkan schools, not much is known.

15. Hatsumi, Masaaki (Yoshiaki) (1931.12.02-): He trained with Takamatsu for fifteen years between 1957 and until the death of Takamatsu in 1972. A year before Takamatsu's death he said that Hatsumi had learned all that he could teach and awarded Hatsumi to be the sole inheritor of the nine Bujinkan schools. Hatsumi still lives and teaches his Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu and the nine traditions.

CONNECTION TO OTHER SCHOOLS:

Gyokko Ryu and Koto Ryu. Akimoto, Kanai Moriyoshi was a student of Sougyoko, Kan Ritsushi the 12th Soke of Gyokko Ryu and the 3rd Soke of Koto Ryu. These two schools were passed down to Toda, Sakyo Ishinsai and the Momochi family in the Tembun era (1532-1555), and later to the Toda family and down to Hatsumi, Masaaki who now is the 28th Soke of Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu and the 18th Soke of Koto Ryu Koppojutsu.

Izumo Ryu Koppojutsu. Another Koppojutsu school called Hontai Gyokushin Ryu can be traced to Sougyoko, Kan Ritsushi the 12th Soke of Gyokko Ryu and the 3rd Soke of Koto Ryu. The founder was named Suzuki, Taizen Taro Kanomaza (or Suzuki, Daizentaro Chikamaza) it was later passed down to Fukao, Tsunouma Shigeyoshi (or Fukao, Kadoma Shigeyoshi) who renamed the school to Izumo Ryu Koppojutsu. Whether or not this school still exists is unknown.

Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo: This school can also be traced to Sougyoko, Kan Ritsushi the 12th Soke of Gyokko Ryu and the 3rd Soke of Koto Ryu. The founder was named Sasaki, Gendayu Sadayasu, the school is handed down for 8-10 generations until it come back to the Gyokko and Koto Ryu and the Toda family schools. It is now one of the nine Bujinkan schools under the supervision of Hatsumi Sensei who is the 21st Soke of Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo.

Hontai Yoshin Ryu Takamatsu was given all Ishitani's Denshos (scrolls), and was also told that he should give a copy of Hontai Takagi Yoshin Ryu to his friend Kakuno, Hachiheita. Ishitani then died in the lap of Takamatsu. Kakuno's school was simply called the Hontai Ryu. Kakuno had three students that received Menkyo Kaiden; they were Wakita Sei Ichi, Tsutsui Yoshihisa (Takagi Ryu from Ummanosuke) and Minaki Saburoji Masanori (Hontai Yoshin Ryu). Minaki also had three students that received Menkyo Kaiden. They were Tanaka Fumon (Minaki den Kukishin Ryu Bojutsu), Matsudo, and Inoue Munetoshi Tsuyoshi (Hontai Yoshin Ryu). Inoue is still active and teaches at his dojo in Kobe. His son travels abroad to teach a couple of times per year.

Hontai Takagi Yoshin Ryu Takamatsu had a student named Sato Kinbei Kiyoaki which is supposed to have received Menkyo Kaiden of Gikan Ryu, Hontai Takagi Yoshin Ryu, and Kukishinden Ryu in January 1963 shortly after the death of Akimoto. According to him, he was the 13th Soke. He did not include Akimoto and Ishitani Matsutaro for reasons unknown, see below for a more detailed list.

Menkyo Kaiden is only evidence that the people have learnt the techniques and teachings of a particular school. The title as Soke is given to the person that is most suited to be the next successor of a particular school. Sokeship is not necessarily given to the best pupil, but to the person with the best opportunity or who is best suited to carry on the teachings in the best way.. This ceremony is called Densho Shiki.

One of Hatsumi's oldest student's named Tanemura Tsunehisa (now Shoto) left the Bujinkan in 1986 after a quarrel with Hatsumi after the funeral of Hatsumi's mother. Hatsumi was ill for a long period, and Tanemura probably thought that he should take leadership. It is said that Tanemura visited Takamatsu's wife and asked her if he had her permission to be the next Soke and that she said yes. She is dead now so this cannot be verified. Tanemura also looked up Takamatsu's former students that were still alive. He is supposed to have met Sato Kinbei and received several Menkyo Kaidens or Sokeship from him. Sato is no longer alive to verify this either. Whatever the reason for the split, neither of them likes to talk about it. The split was only between Tanemura and probably some of his students, and Hatsumi and Bujinkan,. All of Hatsumi's other students remained loyal. Neither Hatsumi or Tanemura speaks of this incident, nor should we. What happened is their business. Tanemura has his own organization called Genbukan. He claims to be Soke of several schools.

Kodokan Judo: Akimoto Fumio the 14th Soke, taught Gikan Ryu (and probably also Shoken Ryu) to Mifune of the Kodokan Judo. He taught him ways of striking and kicking. This was later incorporated into the Judo training.

CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY NOTES.

The training levels of Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu are ...

-- Genealogy according to Sato Kinbei and Tanemura vs. Hatsumi:

THE DISCLAIMER & END NOTES

The original text and research was done by Peter Carlsson who may be reached at <datortek@sbbs.se>. Translation from Swedish to English was done by Mats Hjelm who may be contacted at <helmet@algonet.se>

This work is absolutely not to be taken as "true fact" since it is quite impossible to prove the Kuden. We would be happy for any kind of creative and serious research that you have found out, so if you have noticed some errors in this text or would like to point out something else worth noting please let us know so we could update and make this even more accurate. If possible, please try to back up your claims with some sort of verification or serious references. A big problem when one does research about the history of ninja and the Bujinkan is that when one compares information in books about the subject with general acknowledged history in history books they often do not agree. This means that all information in circulation is to be considered as gossip until it can be compared and proven against general history. This includes the text above.

Some of the people we wish to thank for the sources are here listed in no particular order. . . Sveneric Bogsaeter * Perti Ruha * Stan Skrabut * Mariette V. D. Vliet * Charles Daniels * Bernadette V. D. Vliet * Stephen Turnbull * Ben Jones * Paul Richardson * HATSUMI Masaaki * Gothenburg ninposaellskap (and possibly many others)

For more information like this, get hooked to Internet and browse over to http://www.algonet.se/~helmet/BUJINKAN/ or phone ++46-8-985948 to MokoNoTora FidoNet BBS.

This translation is allowed to be posted electronically or printed as long as it is left unedited or changed in any way. It is not allowed to be reprinted in any way for commercial purposes without permission. (c) MATS HJELM 1996